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Maurya Realms
Basic Geography The Maurya Realms are the second largest, but most diverse and densely populated civilization on the continent. Further south and with a generally warmer climate than its' neighbors to the north and east, there are still a variety of geographic regions. The western region is near desert, agriculture is only possible near a major river that flows from the mountains down to the sea. The north receives more rainfall, being in the shadow of the mountains, but productive agriculture still requires complex irrigation. There is a central, broad plateau on the Mauryan subcontinent that is broad, grassy and of a cooler climate. The southern and eastern regions are the hottest and wettest of the Maurya Realms. The east is a jungle, crossed by many winding rivers and mangrove swamps. The south is a tropical forest with a long coastline and the most exposed to the seasonal monsoons. The styles of agriculture vary along with these different regions, ranging from wet rice agriculture, to orchards, vineyards, fields of grain, herding, productive fisheries and sophisticated aquaculture. The Maurya Realms are nearly as urbanized as Shang, the cities typically have a core of ancient stone buildings surrounded by many smaller timber and bamboo structures. There are more cities along the southern coast than any other region, supported by prosperous trading ports. Still, the ancient capital is in the north. Politics and History Centuries ago, the Maurya Realms were ruled by the asuras. Asuras are non-human creatures with a great variety of forms and abilities. Most are humanoid, with animal or demonic aspects, and posses superhuman physical and mental traits. Under the rule of the asuras, humans were enslaved and society was strictly segregated. A slave uprising, led by the deva cults, grew into a civilizational civil war. Badly outnumbered and shocked by the human's determination, the Asuran forces lost ground until they retreated to the island of Ceylanka, now known as Asura Island. The humans were elated by their victory, but without a common enemy to unite them they split into factions and divided the old Asuran Empire into many different principalities. Today, the Maurya Realms are the most politically diverse civilization on the continent. Most principalities are petty kingdoms, but the coastal cities tend to be oligarchic merchant republics. The second most common form of rule is a theocracy under the priesthood or designated prophet/holy person. The north and west have a more tribal organization. Administration styles vary from communal, to feudal, to highly centralized. Society The diversity of the Maurya Realms makes generalization difficult. Urban and rural life follows patterns that most other civilized people would recognize, and the deference paid to the clerical class resembles Shang attitudes to their mandarins or the Nipponese respect for monks. There are a few universal Mauryan cultural features that set them apart from the other civilizations. There is no slavery, nor temporary involuntary servitude, in the Maurya Realms. The prohibition on slavery carries the force of religious law and its violation is considered blasphemy punishable by exile. The Maurya civilization also tends more towards sexual equality than other cultures, with more female warriors and rulers. This is simply a cultural tendency and not enforced by law. Every city has at least one major temple to the devas, and there are minor temples scattered throughout the countryside. The temples host a variety of priests, priestesses and religious ascetics. In theocratic principalities, these clerics rule the land and people directly. Even in the secular kingdoms and republics, the clerics have the privilege of enforcing moral and religious law. All asura were exiled after the liberation war, but not every principality currently forbids them. Some rulers or rich merchants invite asura mercenaries or scholars from across the sea to serve them. There are persistent rumors of isolated asura villages in the mountains. While they might be tolerated in some cities, asura are still feared and loathed by almost all Mauryan humans for their violent history and superior attitudes. This is especially true of the deva priests, who consider asura ancestral enemies of human society. Military Styles of military organization vary, depending on the region and government of the principality. All principalities must support a substantial armed force, as war between the realms is common. Like the Nipponese, they favor an exotic variety weapons and armor styles. Climate dictates the greatest difference between forces, with armies in the north and west favoring horse and camel cavalry. The more tropical areas have a greater proportion of infantry, but they are reinforced by war elephants. Lately, tribesmen of the central plateau have been raising the finest warhorses, increasing their military power out of proportion to their relatively sparse population. The horse cavalry of the Maurya Realms are skilled in both mounted archery and the shock tactics of the lance. War elephants fight primarily with their own natural weapons, plus the compliment of archers and javelin throwers on their backs. While interior principalities typically raise troops locally, coastal city-states tend to recruit mercenary armies, assembling the best (or cheapest) warriors from across their lands and overseas. Only coastal principalities support navies, obviously. The primary purpose of these fleets is to protect their ports and trade ships from pirates and commerce raiders of hostile principalities. Muaryan warships are swift, long hulled, oar-powered ships. They depend on ramming and boarding to win their engagements, and so contain squads of skilled warriors. Virtually every sailor is also a marine, including the rowers. Though they lack any gunpowder technology, they do employ other kinds of incendiary weapons like fire arrows and burning oil. Religion The deva cults are the primary religion of Maurya. Deva are diverse divine beings that seem to have a strong interest in benefitting Mauryan humans. They do not independently physically manifest in the world, but they communicate through dreams and visions. In times of extreme trial, they can possess their followers. In addition to speaking through their devotees, possession imbues the subject with incredible power. Without it, the humans would not have been able to overthrow their asura masters. Individual deva cults tend to have a limited geographic range, in practice making the devas the gods of cities, towns and provinces. They also have diverse interests, focusing on architecture, agriculture, war, poetry or myriad other arts and sciences.